We have produced a poster which demonstrates, in a visually stimulating and fun way, the ideas that came from this workshop. This is freely available to the ICT/technology, creative and education communities. If you would like a copy, please contact us on 0117 915 8200 or e-mail innovations.workshops@futurelab.org.uk.


The second Innovations Workshop in the summer series brought together a group of experts to think about how future television could be used to support learners in the home and in schools in 5, 10 and 15 years' time.

The focus of the workshop was upon creating visions of future use that developed the notion of interactivity within Interactive TV (iTV) so that learners could personalise, interrogate and take control of broadcast materials.

iTV can provide exciting, rich possibilities for learners to become active investigators and manipulators of information in both school and home settings, and by sharing the various expertise within the workshop key themes within the development of future television for learning were highlighted.

A key opportunity provided by future TV is 'layering' of information so that it becomes available or accessible at appropriate times for the learner. This layering could provide information relevant to parents and young children at the same time, creating shared experiences that then prompt specific social interaction.

'Visual hyperlinks' create a method of navigating such layered information, allowing learners to select characters or background images to interrogate further - at a time that is supportive of their need for the information.

By developing the current capabilities of iTV, learners can be provided with a greater choice in dynamically changing storylines and character actions. This choice can be furthered by enabling learners to view scenarios from various perspectives; varying background images to make the scene more personal and understandable, or using 'blue screen' technology to put the learner at the heart of the programme, witnessing events from a first-person perspective.

A further development of the interaction with television is the idea of multiple controllers. This affords various types of interaction, as learners collaborate in navigating and retrieving information, compete in searching or completing, or support through a dual-controlled scaffolded interaction where a more experienced 'co-pilot' supports and challenges the learner's activity.

Future TV could offer learners of all ages the chance to become more active in following their own interests when the need arises, be that through observing, interacting or creating their own content.

More information and visions from the workshop will be presented through a detailed Vision Paper and a poster. For more information about these materials, please contact innovations.workshops@futurelab.org.uk


The iTV Innovations Workshop participants are:

Paul Bason (Curriculum Online), Heather Croall (Australian Film Commission), James Durran (Parkside Community College), Marc Goodchild (BBC), Miriam Chaplin (freelance educational consultant), Janette Mooney (Learning and Interactive TV, BBC), Anthony Parlington (Longsands College, Cambridgehire), Lyn Pemberton (University of Brighton), Melissa Lee Price (Mystery-productions), Madeline Warburgh (freelance children's TV producer/writer), Sarah Godfrey, Martin Owen and Dan Sutch (Futurelab).


References

A Study into TV-based Interactive Learning to the Home (Bates 2003) www.pjb.co.uk/t-learning.htm provides an interesting overview and introduction to learning with/through iTV.

Kim and Sawhney's 'A machine-like new medium - theoretical examination of interactive TV' (Media, Culture & Society 2002, Vol 24: 217-233) is a rigorous investigation of the cultural perspective of iTV.

Fallahkhair et al's (2004) A Dual Device Scenario for Informal Language Learning With Interactive Television Meets the Mobile Phone provides an interesting converged approach for the use of iTV. www.it.bton.ac.uk/staff/lp22/LynP.html#Research